Grow Your Blog & Giveaway

Hello, so glad you could stop here.  I'm guessing you are here for the "Grow Your Blog" party being put on by 2 Bags Full. This is my first time every doing something like this, so I will start off by introducting myself, I'm Shauna, in case you've not been her before.  I have been blogging for about almost 5 years, wow that seems so long ago.  Up until recently my posts were to show off digital scrapbook pages I made, but I'm slowing working to show more of the quilting I'm doing.  I'm not a designer, of scrapbook stuff, fabric or quilt patterns.  I'm just a working woman, who loves to quilt, create scrapbook pages, and who knows what else.  I will say that I always try to be honest, if I like something I will say so, if I love something I will say so, and if I hate something I will say so.

This blog is a place for me to tell the world what I'm working on at any given time.  If I find something I think is really cool, I'll tell you.  I love taking pictures, so I tend to have lots of photos on my page.  And if you're a dog person, you'll find lots of cute photos/scrapbook pages with dog photos.

So let's get the basic info about me out there.  I'm single, but live with my sister, Sharla and nephew, Cole. My sister and I bought a house together several years ago so we could move our parents in with us to take care of them. Unfortunately we've lost both of them now, but we like the arrangement and so we continue on together. About a year ago my nephew moved in with us. We live in the great state of Texas!!!  We had three dogs, two yorkies (Tucker and Cooper) and a shih tzu (Zoey), but sadly lost one of the yorkies (Cooper) last year.  About that time my nephew brought a puppy (Hollywood) home, a lab/boxer/who knows what mix.  I had forgotten what it was like to have a puppy around.  I work as tech support on an off schedule of Wed-Sun, and have lots of time to spend on the computer when things are slow.  I love digital scrapbooking, because it involves computers and photographs, two of my favorite things.  I've been doing it for about 5 years, and at one time was on about 12 different designer/store teams.  But I've cut back to just a few that I love and focus more now on my quilting.

Now so you can put faces to the names, and yes we are a motley crew, but we have lots of love and that is all that matters to us.

Yes I will be honest and say... I am a fabric-holic.  I love fabric, and can pet it all day long.  Sharla and I starting quilting in 2007, but when I was laid off in 2009, we put it aside.  Then in 2012 we decided it was time to get back into it.  We both love piecing the quilt tops, but neither of us was that hip on quilting them with our regular sewing machine.  Part of the issue is we like larger throw/bed quilts and they are just so hard to maneuver through a small machine.  In late 2012 we took a long arm quilting class and to say we were hooked is an understatement.  Ok maybe I was more hooked than her, but we knew that is how we wanted to quilt.  So we saved money and shifted everything in the house around and made room for a Handiquilter Avante.  We just got it at the end of 2013, so I'm still learning it, but let me say it is so much fun!!!!! Am I good at it yet, no, but I do see improvement with every quilt I do and I'm really starting to feel like I can do it.  The first time I loaded a quilt on it I got scared and it was about a week before I started quilting it. Here is the quilt I finished just this week.

So what will you get if you follow this blog...pictures of a crazy woman's life...wait did I tell you I was crazy?? If not, then take my word for it, I am.  I promise that if I show scrapbook pages I will tell you who the designer is of the kit I used and normally where you can buy it.  If I use a pattern for a quilt I will tell you what it is, and if I know the fabric line I will give you information on that as well.  I will tell you things I learn about long arm quilting as well as any new cool digital scrapbooking thing I find. I know I love seeing what other people create, and if you look at the list of blogs I follow on the right side, you'll see I follow a lot (and that list is old because I now use bloglovin and I think I follow over 300 blogs.  I get inspiration seeing what others create.  Sometimes it is the pattern they used, or maybe the fabric or maybe just the colors.  I hope you can find some inspiration in my pages. If nothing else you will at least find some humor every now and again. If you want you can also follow me via Twitter (but I don't tweet too much) or Instagram (I love taking pictures) with the social media icons in the side bar.  You can also check out my Pinterest boards or Flickr photos.

And to thank you for stopping by I'm offering a small giveaway.  To enter simply leave me a comment and tell me where you are and what the weather is like.  It very cold here.  If you follow me, then you can add another comment letting me know, easy peasy.  Now I'm giving away two mini charm packs, Daydream by Kate Spain and Sewing Box by Gina Martin.  I'm starting to collect mini's in hopes of some day doing a postage stamp quilt...I can dream right?  I am also throwing in a Kwik Klip basting tool.  I recently won it, but since I don't baste like that with my long arm, I thought I would pass it on to someone that could use it. I will draw the winner on Feb. 15th. Here is what your getting.

I'm glad you stopped just to check out the blog and I hope you find lots of blogs to follow. Make sure you visit Vicky at 2 Bags Full, I understand there are over 500 blogs participating, so I'm sure you will find something that peaks your interest.

Friday Finish - Brick Quilt

Ok, I'm really tired, so if something doesn't make sense in this post it is the smoke alarms fault.  We came home last night to it blaring in my room.  And the dogs were going nuts.  We replaced the battery and that didn't work, so I went and got a new battery and that seemed to help.  That is until very early this morning, when it went off again.  I checked the internet and they said vacuum it, and when I did that the orange light went off, so I thought we were good.  I don't know why I felt the need to go back by the house after taking Sharla to work, but I did and it was going off again.  I called Cole and he came and removed the unit totally. I will get it replaced, but my ears are still ringing, and the poor dogs where just batty!!!

But the good news is I finished another quilt this week.  I call this one Bricks, there was no pattern, I just cut the fabric 6 1/2 x 3 1/2.  I'm happy with it overall, but I think a more random layout might have been better. I did learn several things when quilting this one.  The first is that when the tension is set correctly, picking out the stitches is much harder.  Luckily it was a very small section.  I also learned if the back is square it rolls on much easier, something I was told, but hadn't really cared about before.  I cut the binding at 2 1/4" and I love how it looks everywhere but the corners.  I'm still struggling with binding, but with each one I'm learning more.  I found a tutorial on doing the label in the corner so it is sewn in with the binding at Sassafras Lane Designs and I love that so much more than hand sewing on the label.  I made mine smaller than hers, but I printed on the fabric so I didn't need as much space.

The fabric is some I picked up when the local JoAnn's was moving and had all the fabric in their current location 50-75% off.  Is is a good size, I like my quilts pretty long, before washing it was 60 x 72 and it is no about 58 x 70, so it has that nice crinkled look.  

Tucker tried to lay on this quilt at every step, he laid on the fabric as I was ironing it before I cut it, he laid on the quilt top as I ironed it before putting it on the frame and he tried to lay on it as I was sewing the bind on it.  So I'm thinking he wants this quilt!!  Last night I tried to get some photos, but the lighting was poor, but he was quite happy to lay on it. The poor baby is blind and walks into walls, but he can find a blankie anytime there is one within his reach.

So for January I've quilted 3 quilts, which is great.  I've already picked out the one I want to work on next week.  It is one Sharla pieced and it is a very simple quilt, so I'm planning on just stippling the quilting.  I try to quilt on my days off which are Monday/Tuesday, so that means I've got to get the back pieced this weekend.  I'm just hoping for warmer weather this weekend, I don't like the cold, makes my bones creak.

Today I'm linking up with  . . . Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Link a Finish Friday, TGIFF...at Quilty Habit, and Crazy Mom Quilts.     

Friday Finishes - Cooper's Memorial Quilt

Ok maybe that should just be Friday Finish, because I only got one quilt done this week and it was a very small one.  But one is better than none right???  My plan was to work on my brick quilt, but our LQS (local quilt shop) had a wonderful sale last weekend.  Buy five yards get five yards free, or as I like to say 50% off, which is just so hard to pass.  And which we didn't pass.  We went and got several backs for quilts on our list including Cooper's memory quilt and since Sharla was done with the top I just had to quilt it first.  Sharla pieced the top using Pacific Bali Snaps by Hoffman Fabrics. Cooper was a blankie dog, he loved laying on them and we always joked that he wanted a blankie that wasn't pink, since most of Sharla's quilts tended to have pink in them.  So she picked a wonderful set of blues to make his quilt.  We found a wonderful blue batik for the back and binding.    I quilted it freehand (my first) using a ribbon pattern.  It's not perfect, but I am pleased with the results. The photos don't do it justice, but it was late last night and I took them with the flash so the colors aren't as pretty in the photos as they are in person.

Sewing the label on was the hardest part for me.  I hate hand sewing, but I think I have found a way to attach the label when I do the binding.  We will see how that works on the next one.  I even like how the back looks on this one.

Here is a better view of the label, I love that picture of him and he is laying on a quilt Sharla pieced with left overs from her trip around the world quilt and I quilted on my sewing machine.  I will say I love the long arm for quilting so much more!!!! The blue in this photo is more of the true color, so so pretty!!!

And I consider this a minor finish as well, I got the label sewn onto the yellow and black quilt from last week. I washed it as well, so it is truly and completely done.  I really love the look of a quilt after it has been washed.  It just gets that crinkly look and becomes so soft.

And it has already been claimed by Tucker. But I think the real owner is going to be Hollywood. The night I finished it I laid it out on Sharla's bed. Hollywood, claimed it and has slept with her every night since then. The only except was the night I put the label on it and washed it, he slept with me that night.  But last night when I put it back on her bed, he was sleeping with her again.  I think I may have lost my bed buddy.  But as with every blankie in our house, Tucker had to roll on it first.  He just loves blankies, almost as much as he loves Sharla and I.

Overall I'm happy for the week, I did get something quilted.  And I did get the back pieced for the brick quilt. I just need to get it ironed and on the frame to be quilted.  Hopefully ya'll will be seeing it next week on my Friday finishes.

Today, I'm hooking up with……Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Link a Finish Friday, TGIFF...at That's Sew Julie, and Crazy Mom Quilts.